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The first thing one notices about the animal paintings of Debra Hope Colligan is the eyes. The same can be said of her husband Dennis’ pet photographs. Though using vastly different mediums, there is no mistaking that their subjects – mainly horses and dogs – are deeply soulful creatures.So are Debra and Dennis.Desiring to share their works, and the works of other Cape artists, with the local community, the two recently opened the Dog Day Studio and Gallery at the Lamb and Lion Inn on Route 6A in Barnstable.To celebrate, the couple is hosting a special opening party Wednesday, July 23. From 5 to 8 p.m., art aficionados and their canine companions are invited to peruse the gallery, sip wine from The Wine List, and nosh on yummy treats. At first the gallery appears similar to the many like it across the Cape. Lively paintings and photos hang on cheery white walls. Sit awhile, though, and Deb and Dennis will share with you the profound journey that brought them to their cozy venue.At one time Debra worked as a manager in the music industry, counting as close friends folks such as Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Clarence Clemons, and Marshall Crenshaw. After seeing the portraits Debra painted of them, she said, Springsteen and Waits encouraged her to pursue a career in art.While Debra hobnobbed with the musical elite, Dennis was garnering a following of his own for his striking photography, particularly of dogs. He was also known for his stunning abstract paintings, which were said to evoke reflections in water.Fifteen years ago at a Nantucket eatery called the Chicken Box, the two met. Debra was selling paintings, while Dennis was “an itinerant chef” who also took beautiful photos.Five years later the two were married and living in Philadelphia. Life hummed along for the creative couple until tragedy struck in 2004.A longtime lover of horses and an experienced equestrian, Debra was out for a ride when she was thrown, suffering a traumatic brain injury (TBI) after landing on her head.“I was in the hospital for four months,” said Debra, who was also in a coma for three weeks.Debra had injured the right frontal lobe of her brain. She underwent a craniectomy (removal of part of her skull) to relieve the pressure of her brain swelling.“With a TBI, it’s all just question marks,” said Dennis. “It’s different for everyone. It’s all a sea of question marks.”While Debra struggled through what doctors considered a remarkable recovery, Dennis worried about the effects the injury would have on his wife, and on her artistic abilities.“You don’t know how much of your loved one you’re going to get back,” said Dennis. “I’m happy to say I got all of her back.”Not only did Debra solider through three intensive months of inpatient rehab, followed by three years of outpatient recovery, but she also resumed painting. A graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, Debra became a subject of study for neurologist Dr. Anjan Chatterjee, who wished to learn about the healing power of art.Although her style remained much the same – impressionistic, flowing and full of happiness – there were subtle changes.Debra’s first painting following her injury was of a butterscotch-colored horse with smiling eyes called “Take Me Home.”“A friend said, ‘You really capture a lot of the soul of the horse since your accident,’” recalled Debra.Dennis, like many of Debra’s fans, appreciates the energy of her works.“I love the expressiveness of it,” he said. “How she captures the eyes in animals. There’s a story in every painting.”As Debra became more surefooted on her road to recovery, Dennis was enjoying success for his pet photography, stunning images of beloved family friends.“I discovered I had an affinity for capturing the spirit of the animal through photography,” said Dennis of his endearing pictures. “I might have to take 100 photos to get those three or four or five great shots, but I love doing it so it’s not a chore for me.”“People that come to Cape Cod, that love Cape Cod, they want to photograph their dogs here at the beach and want to capture their soul,” said Debra.This New Year’s Eve the couple traveled to Barnstable, lodging at the Lamb and Lion. During their stay they had the good fortune to meet owners Tom Dott and Alice Pitcher.“These are the people we are so grateful to,” said Dennis.As the couples talked, Dott and Pitcher revealed an empty space at the inn that the Colligans felt would make an ideal gallery.“We had so much in common,” said Debra. “They loved the idea of turning it into a gallery focusing on animals.”Dog Day Studio and Gallery officially opened on July 4, but not before Debra and Dennis endured yet another drama.Just days before the planned relocation to Cape Cod, Dennis suffered a heart attack. Nonetheless, desperately wanting to get to the Cape and open the gallery, Dennis worked toward a speedy recovery, and the gallery opened on time.It is a welcoming place, adorned with Debra’s paintings of seaside landscapes, horses and pups, along with Dennis’ engaging photos, also of landscapes, horses and pups. Works by guest artists hang on a special wall of their own.There is an easel on one end of the space and Dennis’ editing space on the other. Naturally, dogs are welcome. As an added bonus, as the Lamb and Lion is pet-friendly, guests desiring a pet portrait only have to step into the gallery where Dennis is waiting.“There’s so much going on with art on the Cape,” said Debra. “We really kind of feel like we’ve dovetailed right in here with the artists’ community. “I sign all my paintings ‘Hope’ now,” she said of using her middle name. “Because of what we’ve been through. We feel really at home now.”